The Emu
Official Organ of the Australasian Ornithologists' Union.
"Birds of a feather."
Vol. IV.] 1ST JULY, 1904. [Part I.
Description of a New Kestrel from Western Australia.
(Hon. Ornithologist, Perth Museum, W.A.)
I Have great pleasure in adding what I consider a new Kestrel to the list of Australian species. The bird was captured alive some weeks ago at Yalgoo, in the north-western portion of this State (where it is said to be a very common form), and sent to the Western Australian Zoological Gardens, Perth. The Director, Mr. Ernest Le Souef, and the head keeper of the Gardens, Mr. Giles, were, on its arrival at the Gardens, at once struck with its diminutive form and general rufous colouration as compared with living forms of Cerchneis cenchroides (Vig. and Hors.) which they had in the Gardens.
The new bird differs from the common form in not possessing any white or pale feathers on the under parts of the body, those parts being a decided cinnamon-pink and making it very distinctive. In addition, the tail is not grey, but rusty-cinnamon, and the legs pea-green and not orange-yellow. It also is much smaller.
The following is a specific description of an adult male:—
The whole of the upper surface is deep rusty-cinnamon, the crown and neck feathers with longitudinal black striations, the mantle with black arrow-heads sparsely distributed, the wing coverts and secondaries with narrow black crescentic markings. Tail feathers (rusty-cinnamon, not grey) with black transverse bars, subterminal black band, and whitish tips. Whole of under surface, including under surface of wings, cinnamon-pink, paler than the upper surface, with a few feathers of the breast striated with sepia. Ear coverts inclining to greyish-brown. Narrow circle of feathers above eye, and a tuft below eye, blackish-brown. Culmen light reddish-blue; cere light blue, with yellowish tinge; eyes and feet pea-green.
Type in Western Australian Museum, Perth.
Owing to the partiality of the bird for young chickens, it is known locally as the "Chicken-Hawk." As a consequence poultry-owners wage a ruthless war with members of the species.
